A heavy snowstorm brought a lot of disaster to Beiping, but the resettlement of the affected people was finally completed before the 30th of the Chinese New Year's Eve.

On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, Xie Pu finally ushered in the belated New Year's holiday. The officials in the yamen of the political envoy can also take a breath and go home to prepare for the festival. Although according to the rules, two officials must be on duty in the yamen every day, but those who do not have their turn to work can still relax at home. Xie Pu finally slept lazily this day, although he got up before the beginning of the morning (nine o'clock in the morning), he still felt very satisfied, energetic, and had the leisure to send people to the political envoy's yamen to ask if there was any official business that he needed to go back to deal with.

Of course, the official on duty at the yamen would reply that there was nothing to do. Although there are still small things, he can handle these small things by himself, where does he need the boss of the labor department? Wouldn't that make him look too useless?!

So Xie Pu was idle at home, except for reading books, eating, and chatting with his children, he had nothing to do. The sons have completed their homework very well, and when the gentleman who taught them to read came home a few years ago, he had already praised a few students, and even the third son Xie Huizhi, who has always been difficult to learn, did not delay his homework, but he was not as diligent as his brothers, but he learned everything he should learn. Xie Pu checked his son's knowledge one by one, praised what should be praised, and criticized what should be batched, and it seemed that it would not take a day of hard work to be idle again, and there was nothing to do.

Xie Yingfen confirmed that her biological mother Wanqin's condition had recovered and there was no problem, so she took the opportunity to say some good things to her father, coaxed people happily, and then took the opportunity to intercede for her biological mother.

Xie Pu discussed with Wen and agreed to Xie Yingfen. Now that the Cao family has no spare strength to make trouble in Beiping, the eyes and ears of his family in Beiping are either turning away from the old master or returning to the capital, which has no impact on the Xie family. Now that Wanqin herself has come to her senses, her relatives have all left the Cao family and fallen under the control of the Xie family, even if she is released, it will be no big problem.

That night, Wanqin went to the upper room to kowtow to Xie Pu and Wen. Xie Pu retreated, and in front of the Wen family, he admonished the concubine who had followed him for many years, and then Wanqin could be said to be respectful in front of the Wen family, even in front of her daughters or girls, she never said anything disrespectful.

Xie Yingfen once asked Wanqin, what did her father say to her aunt? But Wanqin refused to answer, and only prevaricated with some clichés. Xie Yingfen was depressed, but she didn't dare to ask her father Xie Pu or her mother-in-law Wen. Xie Mulin knew her troubles, so he helped her secretly ask her mother Wen. Wen smiled but didn't answer, but said, "What are you children asking for?" Your business has nothing to do with you. It's great that Aunt Qin can think about it now. She will act politely in the future, and Sister Fen and Hanzhi don't have to worry about her anymore, so why do you bother to get to the bottom of it? ”

Xie Mulin told Xie Yingfen this, and Xie Yingfen was thoughtful: "I understand, then I won't ask in the future." If he really didn't ask any more questions, he still used the same words to appease the hearts of his brother.

Then it was Chinese New Year's Eve Chinese New Year's Eve night.

On this night, the families of all the officials were reunited with their families in their own homes to celebrate. Because they had to participate in the New Year's banquet hosted by the Yanwang Mansion in the early morning of the next day, the heads and wives of the families did not dare to be too presumptuous, but others who did not need to participate in the banquet could let go and eat and drink without worrying about getting up early the next day.

The Xie family directly set up a wedding shed in the main courtyard to protect against rain and snow, set up more than a dozen tables of banquets, and the whole family, except for the servants who guarded the door, candles, stoves and other posts that could not be separated from people, gathered together with the master's family to celebrate Chinese New Year's Eve. Everyone in the second room also came to the upper room of the main courtyard to have a banquet, and Mrs. Xie naturally would not be absent.

The old man also specially put on a full set of fateful clothes, dressed up in jewelry. When she helped Pearl and the others out of the yard, she also whispered to her henchmen: "On an occasion like today, the second room surnamed Song will definitely wear all his clothes!" Her man was an official for a short time during his lifetime, and he only achieved a six-rank waiter at the most, and he resigned in a few days, so she could only wear the clothes of the six-rank edict at most. I'm wearing a second-grade fateful costume, and I don't know how many grades higher than her! In the past, in my hometown, everyone in the clan thought that I was inferior to her, and looked down on me, the lady of the commandment, but lifted her up to the sky, and I didn't bother to participate in the ancestor worship and feast in the clan, and I didn't want to look at the faces of those fools! Now in Beiping, there are no clansmen making trouble here, everyone can tell which is more important! I want to see, what else can the surnamed Song say?! If she respectfully saluted before me, it would be a joy to be! ”

Pearl and the two mothers could only laugh dryly, bowing their heads and concentrating on helping her old man go out, saving her from accidentally slipping on the road.

But Mrs. Xie walked very steadily all the way. Since everyone in the second room was one step ahead, she didn't see them on the road, and came to the main courtyard with great anticipation all the way, and proudly accepted the salute and greeting of all the servants on the side of the road. It wasn't until she stepped into the upper room that she was stunned to find that-

Not to mention that the Song family didn't wear the edict costume, even the Wen clan didn't wear her second-grade fateful dress. Everyone in the room was dressed in festive and festive clothes, but they were all ordinary dresses. Even Xie Pu, who was sitting in the position of the head of the family, was only wearing a new satin jacket made by his wife Wen today. Everyone looked at Mrs. Xie in surprise, and the originally lively room instantly quieted down.

Xie Mulin was the first to react, and greeted him with a smile: "The old lady is here?" Please take a seat. Everyone is waiting for the feast, and there is a shortage of your old man! Not a word of thanks to the old lady for her dress.

Mrs. Xie pursed her lips, was helped to the table of her son and daughter-in-law with a straight face, and suddenly saw that her rival Song was sitting opposite her, and suddenly stopped: "Why is she here?!" ”

Xie Pu endured his anger, reluctantly squeezed out a smile, and stretched out his hand to take over his daughter to help the old lady Xie into the seat: "Mother, don't laugh, take a seat." Everybody's watching! ”

Old Mrs. Xie looked at the faint smile on Song's face, and wanted to turn her face, but when she caught a glimpse of her son's expression, she didn't dare to really turn it, so she had to sit down patiently.

Song looked at her with a smile: "Third brother and sister, for the Chinese New Year, isn't it too cumbersome for you to wear this?" ”

Mrs. Xie snorted coldly: "Just because it's the New Year, a serious occasion, and I have to worship my ancestors for a while, I naturally don't dare to slack off." Wearing this dress is to let the old lady see how promising his son is now, he has become a second-class high-ranking official, and even my own mother has been killed! ”